Bacharach - Rüdesheim und Assmannshausen

Because the boat timetable was more frequent in the afternoons, we spent the morning looking around Bacharach.  It’s a very pretty town.  Lots of lovely old half-timbered houses line the streets.

The Wernerkappelle (Chapel of Werner) was built from 1294 to 1414, and then destroyed by the French in 1689.  It’s protected as an ancient monument and is the symbol of Bacharach.

The Protestant Church of St Peter is nearby.   Bacharach is on the border of Protestant/Catholic religions, and has churches of both denominations.

There are a couple of old wells. This one has no water in it.

A lovely old stone bridge over the creek.

The Marktturm (Market Tower), part of the old city walls, and another shot from further around.

We climbed the Postenturm, which had some lovely views as well.

Down towards the river, one of the arched tunnels under the railway line had some old Hochwasser – high water – marks.  The Catholic church had some as well.  The river is currently very high (but not as high as the Mosel), and is going down.  It’s nowhere near these flood markers!

We then headed for the station and a train to Bingen, then a ferry to Rüdesheim (which is on the right bank).  This ferry was also pretty nice.

We wandered around Rüdesheim, looking for an inexpensive lunch.  Rüdesheim is very touristy.

Then onto the Seilbahn, which was very long.  The open-air cabins sat two people (one at each end), so all three of us hopped on.  It was a little squishy, but who cares?  We went over many vineyards on the way up, and some had many poppies between the vines.

The views over the Rhine were lovely.  Thank heavens the weather was nice today.

We walked to the Niederwalddenkmal.  This 38 metre high statue celebrates the defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian war of 1871, and the subsequent foundation of the German Empire.  The first photo was taken from the deck of the ferry.

From there, it was a three quarter hour walk through the Niederwald forest...

...to the chairlift at Assmannshausen.  Check out what's being carried up in the fourth photo!

Assmannshausen is also a pretty town, and less touristy than Rüdesheim.  The first of these buildings was actually painted.

It was a little difficult to find the docks as Assmannshausen is very long.  Naturally the dock we wanted was the furthest!  We boarded the Paddlesteamer Goethe for the half hour trip back to Bacharach.  Goethe is 100 years old this year.

MAMMAL WATCH:  European Red Deer (yay!!)